Claims that the public are not interested in what both the SNP and Labour in Wales have dubbed a ‘power grab’ have been aired before on BBC Scotland. Politics Scotland host Gordon Brewer recently made similar claims as did his studio guest David Torrance.

However there is concern amongst many pro-independence supporters that the broadcaster itself is deliberately downplaying the significance of the power grab and its importance to devolution. The issue, along with Brexit, is regularly placed low in the running order on the flagship news programme Reporting Scotland or ignored altogether.

A demonstration on Friday that witnessed thousands of people form a human chain around the Scottish Parliament to draw attention to the ‘power grab’ received a mere twenty seven seconds of coverage that evening and was relegated to eigth slot on the programme.

Any Scottish public broadcaster worth its salt may well have formed the view that there is a lack of public interest. That being the case, it should have been loudly announcing that the “power grab” presents a significant problem for Scotland and the Scottish people, and that indeed, the public should be paying attention.
INFORM, EDUCATE and entertain.

Re Good Morning Scotland – I think it was Jillian Merchant the solicitor pundit they quite often invite on (not Gillian Martin as stated in the article). I think Jillian Merchant was former Scottish Labour student chair in 2008.

The essence of the above article shows that the BBC in Scotland is being guided by the UK Government line. This is reflected within the video in the following tweet. The video shows an exchange in which a Conservative MP repeats “the man in the pub is not interested” mantra. This is exactly what the UK Gov and the BBC are trying to cultivate.

This having been said, much of the public is viewing the devolved power issue as an abstract concept and many are too young to know how hard we fought for devolution. They also don’t realise how much they are being protected by Holyrood from damaging UK Government policies.

Nicola Sturgeon, Ministers and MSPs need to STRONGLY EMPHASISE to the public that once the UK Gov has seized Scottish devolved powers (even temporarily) they can roll back all of Holyrood’s decisions on fracking, GM crops and even issues re public ownership of Scottish water and NHS Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon must get the message across before the BBC entrenches its spin.

Of course the Scottish Government and Holyrood isn’t doing this as publicity stunt but to protect Scottish interests, which is their job.
Unfortunately there was no one to ask the BBC propagandists how much time they spent informing the public on what the powers were and what they mean. The simple answer is none.
How many members of the public know what Euratom is or what it means? Hardly any but if that agreement isn’t in place, then no more transport of medical and industrial isotopes from the EU, where it comes from.
Or the Open Skies agreement, if not in place, big, big problems with flights.
Or road haulage licensing, if not in place, huge problems transporting by road from the EU.
The BBC is a straightforward propaganda platform and in the future it is going to be totally fucked.

Oh ! A BBC Scotland correspondent said the public are not interested in a power grab ! So thousands of protesters outside the Scottish Parliament on Friday were just there for a picnic then. Bugger off BBC with you biased state propaganda ! We see right through you .

Brexit clearly isn’t a trivial matter, and the potential implications are profound.

A public institution such as the BBC has high public social responsibility.

As a so-called professional journalistic institution and as public national service provider with high ethical standards, the BBC should possess the integrity, professionalism and foresight to clearly recognise that Brexit and its consequences are of paramount interest and importance to Scotland and its people (as a whole), and report accordingly.

Corrupt BBC is failing the public (not just the Scottish public) and future generation, and it is totally unacceptable.

I agree completely with the above comment. I’m beginning to wonder whether there’s some way of taking BBC Scotland to a court of law to answer the charges of failing in their responsibilities to the public.

It is my view that the BBC is institutionally incapable of meaningful reform (unless dragged kicking and screaming).

I agree, mass public crowdfunded litigation against the BBC could potentially be an effective method to properly confront evasive BBC over its fundamental public failings and lack of proper accountability.

Even if the public failed in court, such public solidarity and scrutiny would send a clear message and be very damaging for the reputation of the BBC.

I think many members of the public would be willing to contribute to such important actions.

Grassroots action and public crowdfunding certainly have a bright future (unlike corrupt BBC)…

Ignore the people at your peril. As someone who was there, I would conservatively estimate circa 5,000 people were there throughout the (work) day from 10 am to 3 pm. It was very moving. Cars were hooting as they passed. Even the bin lorries were hooting their horns. The only lack of interest evident is the growing lack of interest in the BBC by the Scottish people.

Brewer of the BBC in Scotland laid the groundwork for dismissal of the Continuity Bill , his first comment weeks ago was a reference to the consistency and quality of Paint , The uninformed would take this as nothing to see move on its boring , because the BBC are making it boring and dont want anyone to waken up to what is actually going on.

Brewer knows this is not about paint and he intentionally trivialised the whole issue therefor wilfully mislead the general public , as others have pointed out Fracking – GM food – NHS and a whole list of important food safety issues are to be taken by Westminster , a Westminster who intend negotiating a deal TTIP style with the USA a country who cant import many foods stuffs to Europe because of quality concerns .

Daily this BBC in Scotland are misleading the public with their directed agenda of deception and deliberate manipulation of what is being done behind their back , all those who cheer on any attack on the SNP as a black eye to those nasty Nat’s better consider the same tactics can and will be used to deceive them and to suppress any concerns they have about chlorinated chicken – hormone injected beef – a NHS at the mercy of US healthcare giants ,

Its not as Brewer would have you believe about bloody Paint and the BBC know it .

The SNP need to call out this propaganda outfit known as the BBC , every live broadcast they are involved in must be used to highlight this manipulation of information by a public broadcaster .

I care about the power grab and so does millions more your propoganda lies dont work anymore with us scot 😂 soon we will be free of westminster and the bbc in scotland. Im glad i havent paid a tv license in the last year as i dont watch live tv but if i did i still wouldnt pay due to your corrupt bias against scotland🤜🏻

the bbc start at 6 am with an snp bad story usually about health, then they pick on an snp mp, or msp, they then run down scotland, and on every program from the kay adams disgrace of a show, every news bulletin says snp bad, right through the lunchtime news, tv radio snp bad,they come back on at 4 pm and start again snp bad, through to 6.30 news snp bad, and so on even before you go to bed, the bbc are shouting snp bad, I watch channel 4 news at 7 o”clock and thats my rations for the day,the sheer nastiness of the bbc presenters, both on the radio and tv ,is enough to go to the turn off button, the bbc in scotland are losing their audience on the tv, and their listeners on the radio, they have only them selves to blame , for their biased reporting, and their constant slogan of snp bad.

The staged double act of Brewer and Torrance with their ‘it’s all terribly boring darling’ schtick combined with Sally Magnusson’s ( proud independent icelander!) condescending and faintly dismissive tone tell you all you need to know about the collusion going on at Pacific quay.

Pravda for the proles… a disgraceful affront to democracy. A crowdfunded legal challenge is long overdue, as is a concerted mass licence fee cancelation campaign….but will the SNP continue to sit back?